In a deployment of a wireless communications system, an operator (or service provider) may need (or wish) to control the mobility of terminals (also sometimes referred to as subscriber terminals, subscribers, subscriber units, mobile stations, User Equipment, and the like) that access the communications system to receive services subscribed thereto. The need to control the mobility of terminals may arise due to regulatory restrictions associated with a spectrum license granted to the operator (Fixed Service only). For example, the operator may only have a Fixed Service only license that may prohibit it from providing mobility service (Mobility Service only) to terminals that are capable of mobility. Therefore, terminals in the operator's communications may have their mobility restricted by law.
Additionally, the need to control the mobility of terminals may also be due to a commercial need to provide tiered services, e.g., wherein the operator charges different rates based on a terminal's mobility or lack thereof. For instance, a terminal of a subscriber who pays for Fixed Service may have its mobility restricted, while a terminal of a subscriber who pays for Mobility Service (typically at higher cost) may not have mobility restrictions.
A geographical area where the terminal or subscriber may receive service may normally be setup in the terminal's (or subscriber's) profile in a core system database. For Fixed Service, a terminal may be allowed to access the communications system from a single geographical area, typically a single access point (AP) (also sometimes referred to as a base station (BS), base transceiver station (BTS), and so forth), while for Nomadic Service, a terminal may be allowed to access the communications system from different geographical areas, but the service and the session may only be maintained as long as the terminal/subscriber is connected to an initial point of access. There may be scenarios however, where due to radio frequency (RF) or other adverse conditions, the communications system may need to redirect the terminal to another AP without breaking the mobility restriction requirements. Conventional methods and systems do not accommodate these needs, however.
What is needed then is a method and system for accommodating differing mobility restriction requirements for the various terminals (also sometimes referred to as subscriber units or mobile stations) that might be encountered on a wireless communications system.